Milk carton convertible to a toy



Sept. 10, 1957 F. PALM MILK CARTON CONVERTIBLE TO A TOY Filed Jan. 18, 1955 u El: 3 m2 2.03mi.

Flix Palm MQS W MILK CARTON CONVERTIBLE TO A TOY Felix Palm, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 18, 1955, Serial No. 482,514

4 Claims. or. 46-11) The present invention relates to a novel treatment of a paper milk carton to make the same readily convertible by a child into a toy for play and amusement and thereby to stimulate the sale of milk or other products packaged in such cartons.

Paper base milk cartons, especially those of one-quart and two-quart sizes, are particularly suitable for my purposes. Such cartons are generally made of a heavy paper base impregnated or covered with wax or other waterproofing material and are liquid proof for substanfial periods of time. Their bodies are substantially square in cross section and in most sizes are considerably longer than they are wide. The commonly used top closure formations on such cartons are such as lend themselves readily to use as the bow of a toy ship or the front of a toy vehicle.

The milk industry in particular has found such paper cartons to be especially desirable for the packaging of products since they eliminate pick-up of empty bottles and the cleaning and sterilizing steps essential to re-use of bottle packages. However, products other than milk are frequently packaged in such containers and in this application, when reference is made to milk cartons, it is to be understood that that term is intended to apply to cartons of the same structure regardless of the particular product which may have been packaged therein.

The retail milk industry is highly competitive and sales stimulants which will result in the selection of one brand of milk instead of another of equal qualityand qualities tend to be equal because of inspection and health controls-are of great value and highly prized in the industry.

It is an object of the present invention, using conventional milk cartons as a base, to present on such cartons designs and instructions for converting such cartons into toys.

It is a further object of this invention to provide toy design methods and instructions which will be easily understood and carried out by even a small child.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide on milk cartons such designs and instructions for making toys therefrom as will provide a sales stimulus for the products so packaged.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of my invention together with an understanding of the accompanying drawings illustrating a typical carton toy and its structure and construction.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a milk carton imprinted in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a boat constructed from a milk carton in accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 3 is an exploded side elevational view of the boat shown in Fig. 2 showing the parts thereof separately.

While numerous toys may be made from a milk carton prepared in accordance with my invention, I have selected as a typical form to illustrate and describe herein in accordance with the requirements of the patent statute atent ice a model of a rear paddle wheel river package freighter. For my purpose, I select an ordinary paper milk carton 10, preferably of the one-quart or two-quart size. This is ordinarily waterproofed and has a peaked roof or inverted V-type top 12.

On at least one side 14 of the carton, and preferably on both of opposite sides thereof, there is imprinted or reproduced in suitable colors the representations of principal characteristics of the desired toy, such for example as the cabin windows, doorways, bulkheads, and running decks as shown in the drawings.

In similar fashion, sides 14 may be decorated or imprinted to portray other toys such as armored vehicles, fire engines, tractors, and a wide variety of toys.

It is generally desirable to so decorate or imprint only two sides of the milk carton, leaving two sides free for labels, trademarks, required certification marks, and the like. One of these sides will of course form the underside of the toy and the other side the top of the toy, and if desired may be covered with tape or colored paper.

On one portion 16 of the carton 10, I include an instruction panel in which brief, clear instructions for making the toy are set forth. Preferably this will include a picture of the completed toy. Also preferably this section will be concealed when the toy has been completed in accordance with the instructions.

On the carton, cut-out lines 18 are impressed or delineated which may be readily followed in converting a milk carton into an amusing toy.

Considering in detail the example shown, there is imprinted on at least one side 14 of the carton 10 characteristic features of a boat of which the inverted V-top 12 of the carton 10 becomes the how, the point of the V being disposed horizontally in this instance as being most in keeping with the type of boat shown. It could of course be vertically disposed and represent the bow of a different style of new ship or vehicle.

In the illustrated form, the portion of the carton cut off along the line 18 is nested Within the carton or hull and becomes the afterdeck 2%.

The boat hull may then be dressed up if desired, which may be shown in the instruction panel 16. Thus a pair of lollypop handles 22 and 24 may be mounted in holes 26 and 28 cut in the top panel and may be strung with thread 30 to represent a radio transmission aerial. Ice cream bar handles 32. and 34 may be inserted in slits 36 and 38 for propeller frame extensions and a cardboard paddle wheel 43 motored by wound rubber band 42 may be mounted thereon for self-propulsion purposes. Toothpicks 44 may be inserted in the afterdeck 20 to represent a stub mast and Working boom. Other variations for similar purposes will be obvious.

I have illustrated and described one particular form of toy which may be easily made by a child from a milk carton in accordance with my invention. Obviously, many variations may be made therein.

It will be seen, however, that the use of a milk carton as a base in combination with the illustrated side panels and instruction section which together constitute the basic fundamentals of my invention, result in a clearly novel use of a milk carton for conversion into attractive, economical toys which will be a feature of considerable attraction and sales appeal for the cartoned milk at little if any additional packaging expense.

Since many variations may be made in the specific form of toy made from a milk carton without departure from the essentials of my invention, I desire to be limited only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A toy boat made from a milk carton of the type formed from waterproofed paper and having an inverted V-shaped top, said toy boat composing a hull, the bottom and sides of which are sides of said carton, the bow of which is the !-shaped top and the stern of which is the carton bottom, said carton having lines of demarcation extending across one side, partially across the adjoining sides and thence rearwardly across the stern, saidl carton being divisible along said line into a hull portion having a rear deck rail of reduced height and a deck portion, said deck portion being insertable between said rear deck rails to define a rear deck for said boat. V a

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 including, additionally, decorations on one side of said carton to represent the side of a boat and instructions on the exterior of said carton for constructingand completing said boat.

3. A toy boat comprising a milk carton of the type formed from waterproofed paper and having an inverted V-shaped top, said carton having a detached portion, defined by a line extending across one side of said carton,

partially across the adjoining sides and thence rearwardly across the bottom of said carton, telescopically contained between the partial sides remaining to define a deck at a level lower than the transverse height of the carton.

4, The combination as set forth in claim 3 including, additionally, instructions on said carton for completing the boat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 979,812 Warren Dec. 27, 1910 1,600,616 Bernard Sept. 21, 1926 1,743,572 Schurr Jan. 14, 1930 2,141,993 Kreider Dec. 27, 1938 2,634,896 Graveno Apr. 14, 1953 2,636,312 Martin Apr. 28, 1953 

